Cooker in Rented Accomodation

mkhall

Hey folks just a quick question.

I'm living in rented accommodation since March 2015. The cooker never worked properly, it's ancient anyway I'd say at least 25+ years old but it was just double the cooking time, not cooking bottom of pizzas etc. so myself and the other tenants stopped using it, I bought a slow cooker for chicken. New tenants moved in and we realised its taking 2-3 hours for all of us to cook our dinners now so we asked landlord for a new cooker. He brought over a mini oven it's so tiny that you can barely fit chips and a piece of fish in it let alone two dinners. It's one rack, doesn't really cook chips through so I've asked to the landlord to come take it back. My housemate had a bigger minioven so we're using that for the time being but even so that's too tiny so cook for more than one. Legally what is he obliged to provide? I think he should replace the cooker, it's genuinely ancient and we should be able to cook a decent meal IMO.

whiskeyman

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/repairs_maintenance_and_minimum_physical_standards.html

Minimum standards:

Facilities for cooking and for the hygienic storage of food, for example, a 4-ring hob with oven and grill, fridge-freezer and microwave oven

He's just getting away with it probably - do the rings / hob work?

Michael D Not Higgins

whiskeyman wrote: »

http://www.citizensinformation.ie/en/housing/renting_a_home/repairs_maintenance_and_minimum_physical_standards.html

Minimum standards:


He's just getting away with it probably - do the rings / hob work?

I don't like how the citizen's info website quotes the legislation. It makes it seem like there's an alternative that can also comply with the requirements. The legislation actually says that the property shall have all those things, as in they must be supplied.

The mini oven may comply if all the other facilities are provided. The standards don't specify the efficiency of the oven or its size.

mkhall

Thanks for the quick replies! Yes the hobs work but it's a huge pain not being able to cook chips and a frozen pizza properly. Sometimes I have guests for dinner and have to order out..I wish I could take a picture of this cooker for you

whiskeyman

How many of yee are in the house?

Perhaps get back to LL to say thanks for the 'mini oven', but it really is only suitable to one person, and you'd need either the old oven fixed or a replacement to be able to cook properly?

Butters1979

mkhall wrote: »

Thanks for the quick replies! Yes the hobs work but it's a huge pain not being able to cook chips and a frozen pizza properly. Sometimes I have guests for dinner and have to order out..I wish I could take a picture of this cooker for you

Why can't you?

mkhall

Butters I would, can you post pics here? I emailed him asking him to take it back as it didn't meet our needs..but made the stupid mistake of telling him we were using my housemates temporarily. He -conveniently- hasnt responded yet

Graces7

mkhall wrote: »

Butters I would, can you post pics here? I emailed him asking him to take it back as it didn't meet our needs..but made the stupid mistake of telling him we were using my housemates temporarily. He -conveniently- hasnt responded yet

Had a cooker like that at one rental; from the ark. Told the landlord I needed a gas cooker and they found a second hand one. Electric cookers cost too much to run. Yep TMI to him! Ah well!

mkhall

The hobs and all work fine it's just the baking part-takes double the time. It's either burnt or not cooked through.

I sent him an email telling him thanks but we wouldn't be using the tabletop oven because it doesn't suit our needs. I said we were borrowing a friends larger one temporarily. There's my mistake-he wrote back saying he would not be returning it. No mention of a new cooker. I don't want to move over the sake of an oven but it's a little ridiculous not being able to cook simple things like chips, chicken, pizza..you couldn't even fit a pizza into this thing he bought us.
The citizens info is quite basic so no idea what our rights are. Any ideas?

Michael D Not Higgins

mkhall wrote: »

The hobs and all work fine it's just the baking part-takes double the time. It's either burnt or not cooked through.

I sent him an email telling him thanks but we wouldn't be using the tabletop oven because it doesn't suit our needs. I said we were borrowing a friends larger one temporarily. There's my mistake-he wrote back saying he would not be returning it. No mention of a new cooker. I don't want to move over the sake of an oven but it's a little ridiculous not being able to cook simple things like chips, chicken, pizza..you couldn't even fit a pizza into this thing he bought us.
The citizens info is quite basic so no idea what our rights are. Any ideas?

You have a right to an oven, the legislation does not expand on this so it looks like you're stuck with what you have.

The landlord will find he will likely have to replace the proper oven in order to rent it out again so he's just delaying the inevitable. In the meantime you have to deal with the minioven or move out. You could get in contact with the local authority who have responsibility for ensuring minimum standards but they're not able to read into the legislation any more than we can.

desertcircus

If the landlord is this awkward and stingy over replacing a 25-year-old oven, then he's going to be an utter nightmare for bigger problems. Move out as soon as is legally and logistically possible.

intheclouds

Buy a cheap oven and then take it with you when you go?

SarahMollie

Yeah not really sure what the Landlords issue is here. Surely replacing something so old in the property is a worthwhile investment and I'm sure he can claim tax relief.

Probably just too lazy.

If you've other options for somewhere to live OP, I'd look around. Your landlord sounds like he'd only do the bare minimum for you .Can you imagine if the the heating broke down? He'd probably arrive over with a plug in convection heater.

SarahMollie

Yeah not really sure what the Landlords issue is here. Surely replacing something so old in the property is a worthwhile investment and I'm sure he can claim tax relief.

Probably just too lazy.

If you've other options for somewhere to live OP, I'd look around. Your landlord sounds like he'd only do the bare minimum for you .Can you imagine if the the heating broke down? He'd probably arrive over with a plug in convection heater.

handlemaster

Dont understand the tightness of a LL not buying a new cooker it saves in the long run. It would even stop been contacted by the tenant regularly

Graces7

intheclouds wrote: »

Buy a cheap oven and then take it with you when you go?

Perfect. I have a gas hob and double fan oven here. I never use the oven for the cost but have a microwave and a halogen oven which are both mine. argos can be a good friend

Graces7

SarahMollie wrote: »

Yeah not really sure what the Landlords issue is here. Surely replacing something so old in the property is a worthwhile investment and I'm sure he can claim tax relief.

Probably just too lazy.

If you've other options for somewhere to live OP, I'd look around. Your landlord sounds like he'd only do the bare minimum for you .Can you imagine if the the heating broke down? He'd probably arrive over with a plug in convection heater.

One of mine arrived with a gas heater in a house where there were only old storage heaters I refused to use for the cost!

Speedwell

intheclouds wrote: »

Buy a cheap oven and then take it with you when you go?

I wouldn't; then the tenant is responsible for its upkeep, and is liable in case a bad installation or faulty unit, say, burns the place down.

intheclouds

Speedwell wrote: »

I wouldn't; then the tenant is responsible for its upkeep, and is liable in case a bad installation or faulty unit, say, burns the place down.

I cant imagine why the tenant would mind taking care of the upkeep of something that they themselves own.

And on the liability - well that could apply to anything electrical they own, a hair straightener, a hair dryer, a mobile phone charger, a laptop etc...

Thats kind of needless scaremongering tbh, electrical things have a certain fire risk, that doesnt mean tenants shouldnt own or use them.

Graces7

mkhall wrote: »

The hobs and all work fine it's just the baking part-takes double the time. It's either burnt or not cooked through.

I sent him an email telling him thanks but we wouldn't be using the tabletop oven because it doesn't suit our needs. I said we were borrowing a friends larger one temporarily. There's my mistake-he wrote back saying he would not be returning it. No mention of a new cooker. I don't want to move over the sake of an oven but it's a little ridiculous not being able to cook simple things like chips, chicken, pizza..you couldn't even fit a pizza into this thing he bought us.
The citizens info is quite basic so no idea what our rights are. Any ideas?

Sounds like the element is malfunctioning...ask on electrical appliances here on boards. may indeed be dangerous?

Graces7

intheclouds wrote: »

I cant imagine why the tenant would mind taking care of the upkeep of something that they themselves own.

And on the liability - well that could apply to anything electrical they own, a hair straightener, a hair dryer, a mobile phone charger, a laptop etc...

Thats kind of needless scaremongering tbh, electrical things have a certain fire risk, that doesnt mean tenants shouldnt own or use them.

Surely the fuse system here will take care of any danger? Seems sensitive enough

L1011

Graces7 wrote: »

Surely the fuse system here will take care of any danger? Seems sensitive enough

No, fuses and RCDs do no protect against electrical fires at all